North of the border

Just back from Scotland, where I have been revisiting old haunts. From the age of 10 I lived in a place called Wormit, which overlooks Dundee from the far (southern) end of the Tay rail bridge, above.

From Wormit I travelled to school in St Andrews, 12 miles away, and every year we find time to drop by, making an additional detour to Anstruther, the Fife fishing village that is home to the best fish and chip shop in Scotland.

On Saturday my wife and I were guests at Neil Rafferty's wedding near Stirling. (Neil is Forest's Scottish spokesman. Prior to that he worked for the Sunday Times and the Press Association in Scotland. From his home in the Borders he recently launched the Daily Mash, Scotland's first "satirical news website".)

Neil and Amy opted for a humanist wedding in a converted barn next to her parents' house (a traditional old farmhouse). Afterwards we moved outside to the garden for several glasses of champagne, and then we had dinner (followed by a reel or two) inside a large marquee. 

I understand that there was a (brief) heatwave in the south of England. In Scotland it was very much cooler (and all the better for that). Thankfully the rain held off for most of the day, the locals (many of whom had helped organise the wedding) were very friendly, and altogether it was a rather splendid occasion.